29.05.20 FOR GOD AND COUNTRY No. 387 N250 www.leadership.ng NIGERIA'S FIRST FRIDAY NEWSPAPER Leadership Newspapers @leadershipNGA Apple Music Names DJ Cuppy First Radio Show Host In Africa World’s biggest company, Apple Music, will on and traditional popular African sounds, and contemporary sensibilities, morphing into to East and North to South, but importantly a Sunday launch its first radio show in Africa and including genres like latest African sounds, be it hybridised sonic fragments connecting all corners narrative of Africa then to Africa now,” Cuppy DJ Cuppy whose real name is Florence Ifeoluwa amapiano, afrobeats, highlife, alte, house, hip- of the continent explained in a statement. Otedola as its host. hop, afrobongo, or kuduro and more. Cuppy, the Nigerian-born DJ and music African music and artists have found The streaming platform announced yesterday Listeners, it said would enjoy the latest producer, will host the weekly one-hour show, that “Africa Now Radio with Cuppy” will debut and greatest African artists and new forms of which will be available at 9 a.m. EDT. Sunday and will feature a mix of contemporary African popular music which fuse traditional “The show represents a journey from West CONTINUED ON PAGE 35 21 YEARS OF UNINTERRUPTED DEMOCRACY Northern, Southern Leaders 4 Canvass Better Deal For Nigerians PMB has done well in 5 years – Presidency President restates debt cancellation for African countries, seeks NASS approval of $5.513bn loan to fund 2020 budget Consoles victims of Sokoto attack, orders fierce military action against bandits Govs bow to pressure, set up c'ttee on legislature, judiciary autonomy COVID-19 UPDATE May 28, 2020 Confirmed Cases 8915 Discharged Patients 2592 Number of Deaths 259 – NCDC Nigeria Rejects US' Call For Independent Probe Of Adesina AfDB denies sacking him, insists there's no crisis in bank BY MARK ITSIBOR, Abuja, BUKOLA IDOWU, Lagos AND FEMI OYEWESO, Abeokuta Nigeria has frowned at the calls for an independent investigation into the allegations of favouritism levelled against the president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. President Muhammadu Buhari participating in the United Nations virtual high-level event on financing for development in the era of COVID-19 and beyond, from the presidential villa, Abuja, yesterday. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 Food Security: Why Nigeria 74 Political Parties Lose FG Tests 1,422 Daily, Decries Must Not Repeat The Crude Out As Court Affirms INEC's Lack Of Attention For Non- Oil Misadventure PAGE 36 Power To Deregister PAGE 2 COVID-19 Patients PAGE 11 2 NEWS Group News Editor: Sunday Isuwa (08025471579) May 29, 2020 Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama (R) receiving a Letter of Commission from the director of D-8 Health and Social Protection Programme in Nigeria, Dr Ado Muhammad, during the latter’s visit to Tafawa Balewa House in Abuja, yesterday. 74 Political Parties Lose Out As Court Affirms INEC’s Power To Deregister BY KUNLE OLASANMI AND MBACHU GODWIN, Abuja fixed, certain or even ascertainable. try must be held before their deregistration. court is the position of the law and only the 18 The court, therefore, held that the deregis- Before now, the deregistration controversy political parties recognized by INEC will partic- About 74 political parties in the country tration of National Unity Party as a political have raged between the electoral commission ipate in the Edo and Ondo governorship elec- have lost out as the Federal High Court Abu- party in Nigeria was lawfully done in exercise of and the 74 parties , with INEC holding the po- tions and that the parties are ready for the elec- ja, affirmed the power of the Independent Na- vested constitutional powers of the INEC in ac- sition that after fulfilling their constitutional tions. tional Electoral Commission (INEC) to dereg- cordance with Section 225A of the 1999 Con- roles of conducting Presidential, Federal and But the IPAC faction led by High Chief Peter ister them. stitution. The judgement conclusively termi- State Legislative, Governorship and FCT Coun- Ameh said that the Federal High Court ruling The court ruled yesterday that any politi- nated the legal existence of the party and also cil elections that the stage was set for deregis- on a matter between the National Unity Party cal party that failed to comply with the provi- all its other rights and obligations. tration of parties which didn’t win any position and the Independent National Electoral Com- sions of the law particularly Section 225 A of The court also held that the party failed to as required by the constitution, a position that mission ( INEC) has nothing to do with the 74 the 1999 Constitution as amended, INEC has show that the exercise of its powers to deregis- the court has now upheld thereby dimming the political parties suit challenging INEC’s dereg- the power to deregister it. ter the party was at variance with the law and hope of any of the 74 parties regaining their le- istration process. Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo in a landmark judge- also ultra vires its powers. Hence the court gal right to exit. Speaking to LEADERSHIP Friday exclusively ment delivered in the suit filed by the Nation- came to the conclusion that the plaintiff (the By this judgement, only 18 political par- yesterday, Ameh disclosed that the ruling was al Unity Party (NUP), one of the 74 parties de- party) failed to prove its case and the issues ties will be participating in the Edo and Ondo against the National Unity Party and not the registered by the INEC in February affirmed for determination cannot be determined in its states governorship elections scheduled to hold 74 political parties. that the constitutional power of the commis- favour and the reliefs it sought could not be on September 19, 2020 and October 10, 2020. He noted that the court ruling does not over- sion and the reasons given by INEC for the de- granted to it. While answering questions from one of our turn the earlier ruling which barred INEC from registeration of parties are valid, in conformity The court in the judgement dismissed the correspondents, the national chairman of the deregistering political parties. with the law, sacrosanct and could not be affect- argument of the party which is the same legal Inter Party Advisory Council, IPAC and AAC Ameh accused INEC of confusing the pub- ed by the fact of anticipated local government argument by other 74 deregistered parties ar- party chairman, Dr. Leonard Nzenwa, said that lic on the ruling as if it affects the 74 politi- elections by some states which dates were not guing local government elections in the coun- until upturned on appeal, the judgement of the cal parties. Minister Denies Allegations Capital Market Master Plan, 70% Of Fraudulent Oil Deal Accomplished-Report BY KUCHA JEREMIAH, Abuja the renewed attempt to cast aspersion on his client’s personality over a matter which A document obtained from the Securities and Nigeria’s priority economic sectors, thereby ef- The minister of State for Mines and Steel, Dr. the Economic and Financial Crimes Com- Exchange Commission shows that the commis- fectively contributing to the national economy Uche Ogah, yesterday opened up on the alle- mission (EFCC), Nigeria Police and the sion has so far executed over 70 per cent of its and aligning market structure to requirements gation levelled against him over an oil deal, court have cleared him, is clearly the hand- 10-year Capital Market Master Plan. of the economy as well as increase scale, size and stating that he was cleared many years ago. iwork of blackmailers. The Master Plan which is to run from 2015 professionalism of all stakeholders. According to the minister, the renewed According to Ubani, “We consider this act to 2025 has the potential to facilitate the im- The plan also aims at ensuring competitive- calls for his probe over a business transac- of defamation as pure blackmail which or- plementation of the nation’s economic agenda. ness by establishing practices to improve trans- tion which he has been investigated and dinarily should not have deserved the at- The document obtained yesterday in Abuja parency, efficiency and liquidity and to attract cleared years ago by law enforcement agen- tention of our client but for the informed also detailed the various achievements of SEC sustainable interest in the capital market from cies is an act of political malice. members of the public who may not be ap- under Ms Mary Uduk as acting director general. domestic as well as foreign investors and partic- Some group of lawyers under the aegies prised of the facts of this case, we have set The document explained that the SEC is guid- ipants as well as creating an enabling and facili- of Coalition of Public Interest Lawyers and out patiently to put the records straight. ed by a 10-year (2015 to 2025) Capital Market tative oversight and regulatory framework sup- Advocates had issued a statement pub- “We are not ignorant that these black- Master Plan which is a collective vision for the portive of the deepening and development of the lished on some online platforms calling for mailers are mere ‘dancers’ whose drummers capital market and the role it should play in po- Nigerian capital market. Ogah’s probe over the transaction he had are in the thick bush and certainly they shall sitioning the capital market for an accelerated The document explained further that in order with one Mrs Bridget Adeosun while run- be unveiled very soon. development of the national economy. to achieve the Master Plan initiatives, certain ning his private business before he joined “Our client is not ignorant of those be- The Plan, according to the document, was laws needed to be reviewed, adding, “A confer- politics.